Under the Moonlight
by shattered melodies
Summary: Clare Edwards wants to be an actress, and it's time to be one for an English assignment. She becomes friends with Eli during a rehearsal break, and seems to be falling for him; especially when they have to kiss on stage. Eclare. One-shot! Review/Favorite!


**Hey, everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates.  
I feel like I've just taken a huge hit from a lot of _personal_ things  
And have been feeling a little down lately.  
So, here's a one-shot to make up for everything,  
And hopefully make someone else happy. Enjoy.  
Review, please.**  
**I don't own anything except the storyline.**

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Under the Moonlight**  
_~An Eclare/Degrassi One-shot~_

_'When I'm around her, all I can think about is getting her to kiss me.'_

It was time for a play study in Mrs. Dawes' eleventh grade advanced English class. The class would be spending their period in the dark auditorium; acting out on the stage. Everyone would be getting some kind of role, and when they finish memorizing their lines, they would give a "presentation" in front of parents, teachers, and students. Mrs. Dawes thought it would be an interesting, exciting way to get to know everyone in the class. And it gets people doing something other than sleeping in her classroom. The actors in her English class were overly enthusiastic about the new unit, but everyone else just groaned miserably.

"The play we're doing is very famous; it's been playing on Broadway for over a decade. Maybe you're familiar with 'The Phantom of the Opera'?" Mrs. Dawes smiled happily as she held up a copy of the famous love story. Elijah Goldsworthy, who had been colouring his fingernails black a Sharpie marker, looked up with his forest-green eyes at his teacher with a skeptical expression. He was never much of an actor, and he thought of the play as 'stupid, pointless, and a waste of time.' He snorted; shaking his head with his signature smirk and continued to colour his fingernails.

Clare Edwards, the red-headed, blue-eyed tenth grader that sat behind Eli, was very excited to work on the play. She knew it like the back of her hand. She was sitting on the edge of her chair; propping herself on her elbows on her desk as she listened to Mrs. Dawes explain the unit. Clare was hoping to be Christine; the main character that the Phantom fell in love with. She loved acting to the bottom of her soul; it was what she has been wanting to do ever since her parents started fighting. She could be somebody else and escape reality.

"I've already picked out your roles," She passed out copies of the Phantom as she walked up and down the aisles of desks. "Alexa, you're gonna be Madame Giry. Lizzy, you're Carlotta Giudicelli. Eli, you're Raoul de Chagny. Clare, you're Christine Daaé. Adam, you're the Phantom of the Opera…" Mrs. Dawes continued to tell others their parts, but all Clare was focused on was how happy she was; she was gonna be one of the main characters! Eli, on the other hand, laughed to himself; he was going to play some guy who was in love with Christine. The person playing her, Clare, was somebody Eli barely even knew in the first place. She didn't talk all the much in class anyway. But, he knew her by her blue green eyes; they were the colour of the sea. Perhaps, he could have a little fun playing games with her…

Once all the roles had been filled, the bell rang from above. As Clare passed through the open doorway, Eli went over and purposely brushed past her. The two of them locked eyes for a clear moment before a smug smirk wrapped around his rosy lips and he walked away. Clare couldn't help but feel a blush creeping on to her cheeks when he left. Sure, she had been having this weird feeling about him ever since he ran over her glasses a week ago, but she felt so… not his type. She was a colorful girl and so bright, and Eli was just seemed dark and mysterious. Yet, he was different and her total opposite. What was it that attracted her to him, then? Clare found herself talking about this situation to Alli; her best friend since she came to Degrassi. And a striking thought entered her mind; Christine and Raoul have to kiss; more than once. Eli would be taking the part as Raoul… and knowing Mrs. Dawes, no special exceptions.

The next day during their English class, they were in the auditorium; all the students sitting in different places in the sea of seats. Mrs. Dawes took a place on the stage where everyone could see her, and a single light illuminated the dark room.

"I hope all of you have read your copy of this glamorous play last night!" She said. Clare and Eli, for some strange reason, were sitting next to each other. Eli looked beside him at Clare and gazed at her for a quick moment before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"I highly doubt most of these people have even glanced at the book." Clare was taken back at first at the sudden voice; even gasping a little out of surprise and immediately turned her head to face him. She forced out a chuckle to lessen the awkwardness.

"Y-yeah… though, I'm not one of those people,"

"Same here. You a fan of it?"

"A dire-hard fan, of course. ThePhantom of the Opera is a classic. It's beautiful," For the briefest moment, a thought entered Eli's mind immediately after she stopped talking for second; 'You're beautiful.' He almost even let those words slip past his rosy lips.

"I couldn't agree more. A classic love triangle; what girl doesn't like that?" Clare smiled lightly and gave him a small punch in the arm; causing the both of them to laugh quietly.

"I love it more than just for the romance,"

"What other reason is there?" Her sea-coloured eyes averted their attention to her hands that were folded neatly and elegantly in her lap. Her front teeth caught onto the bottom of her lip as she tried to think of an answer.

"Well… in the beginning of the play version, I think it's… it's kind of cool how they're in rehearsal for a play. It's inspiring,"

"Inspiring?" Eli couldn't help but laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I want to be an actress when I get out of high school and with the beginning of Phantom, it gives me an insight on how things run on an actual set! Have a problem with that?" A smug, teasing smile wrapped around her lips.

"You want to be an actress? Could've fooled me. You don't look like an actress,"

"Then what do I look like?"

"A very talented writer," It was true; Clare spent a lot of time writing. She wrote fan fictions of vampire series; like Twilight. She chuckled a little and tucked a few strands of her fiery red hair behind her pale-coloured ear.

"I do write…"

"You could write plays and be famous for that,"

"True."

"Why would you want to be an actress in the first place?"

"Well… when my parents started fighting vigorously, I was in one of the school plays; just trying it out, you know? But I found that I really liked it. I didn't have to be Clare Edwards; I could be somebody else for once. Even if it was for a little while, it was nice to escape reality," Eli nodded his head; a sign that he understood what she was saying.

"You need to escape reality, too?"

"Definitely. What's your reason?"

"Family issues. Death can take its toll on one person when it occurs over and over,"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her voice was very sympathetic and her blue eyes glanced over at the seemingly-faraway boy sitting next to her.

"Poetry helps. And of course, my headphones do, too." The two of them shared another laugh before locking eyes with each other. Had there been an invisible connection between them all along or was something just created? There was something there for sure, and the two of them could feel it as they gazed at each other. The bell rang on them a few seconds later; much to their discontent. They parted ways for the day, but they found themselves talking more and more through the entire unit. And before they knew it, they were on stage rehearsing during the scene of "All I Ask of You." They didn't have to sing - they were encouraged not to - but they were required to go through the song with real emotion; get really into the parts as Christine and Raoul. They were on the stage with their entire eleventh grade class watching their every move; they all wanted to see them kiss.

Clare and Eli were wrapped up in each other's arms as they were going through the song; Eli's right hand on Clare's left cheek, and Clare's arms wrapped around Eli's neck. Their bodies were extremely close; skin against skin, if you say so.

"Love me; that's all I ask of you." The two of them said; really gazing into each other's eyes. Within a second, they were leaning in; closer and closer in hesitation until both of their lips were finally touching. Their lips molded in one another's perfectly; like they were meant to be there. Whatever the two of them had been feeling for each other before that kiss was becoming very apparent now. Even after Mrs. Dawes had given them the signal to stop, they pretended that it never happened and continued to kiss. It was too good for them to just quit and they were becoming addicted to the feeling.

"Okay, you two. It's okay to stop," Mrs. Dawes sighed as she pulled the two of them away. Both of them couldn't help but let their fingertips brush against their lips; the feeling wouldn't leave. Clare's eyes lined up with Eli's as they laughed at each other in unison.

It wasn't long until they were performing in front of the teachers, some students, and parents. The performance went nothing less than spectacular; and they received fantastic reviews. As they were taking their bows at the end of the show, Eli's hand took Clare's and raised it in the air above them; both of them looking at each other instantly. He had a smile on his face, and she couldn't help but smile either in response. They bowed together; hand in hand.

Sometime after the show, Clare and Eli found themselves to be alone on stage. They had been chatting and Clare was waiting for her parents to stop gushing to Principal Simpson at how "proud they were of their little actress."

"I can't believe it's over," She said; gazing out at the other end of the auditorium with a blank face. She was relieved, but she thoroughly enjoyed this particular unit in English.

"Is that good or bad?" Eli asked; laying down on his elbows, but his emerald eyes held their gaze on the fiery red head.

"Eh, a little bit of both. It was nice to do a play for once, but that was a lot of work,"

"Well, when you do a play like The Phantom of the Opera, you should expect a lot of work. But you know… you were great. I guess you are one hell of an actress," Clare blushed and chuckled under her breath; looking behind her, directly at Eli with a smile.

"Thank you, but it also helps when you have a good partner,"

"I do hope you mean me, and not Adam,"

"Of course, you," He sat right back up; his face inches away from Clare's. Her heart was beginning to race with him being so close. They were quiet for a few moments, but it was anything less than awkward.

"These past few months that we've been working on this play, Clare…" Eli started; his eyes looking at the floor for a second before looking back at her. "It's been nice having you here. I like you, a lot." Her cheeks burned when she heard his words and she felt surprisingly content.

"I really like you, too," She said with another cute smile; her fingers taking his hand and holding it tenderly.

"Well, then, since we're both single and we like each other, I think I should ask you this; there IS a dance this Saturday at Above the Dot. Would you like to join me as my date?"

"I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do," The two of them shared a peaceful kiss in front of no one and not under a performance. Let their happiness begin.

**Finis**_._


End file.
